Chapter Seventeen
She allows a deep sigh of contentment to escape her as she presses her cheek fast against his broad chest, small hands encircling her lover's torso protectively. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat slowly lulls her to a long, dreamless sleep. When her pale blue eyes flutter open hours later she instantly notices the absence of his warmth against her cheek and sits up, frantically scanning the dimly-lit apartment for any sign of him.
From the corner of her eye, she notices a flash of white followed by the unmistakable sound of shuffling parchment. As her eyes adjust to the darkness, she makes out two slender figures huddled intimately over the Captain's writing desk. Although their backs were to her, it was impossible to confuse Commander Ervin's blond undercut hovering inches above the Captain's shoulder.
A sudden urgency spurs her to her feet, eyes widening ever so slightly as the warm blanket draped loosely around her falls to the ground. She watches the Commander slowly straighten up, rubbing his eyes with a tired sigh as he squints down at a scroll of parchment.
"Is something wrong?" The Queen asks quietly as her gaze falls to the Commander's beige pajamas and slightly disheveled hair.
"Oh, sorry to wake you," Ervin Smith greets turning to flash her a small smile. Historia flushes deeply as she traces the blond's hand to its perch on the backrest of the Captain's chair. Commander Ervin's blue eyes soften as the blonde queen crosses the room to join them. "I was just picking Captain Levi's brain about something."
"We're almost done," Captain Levi mutters quietly without turning to face her as she moves to stand beside him. She leans over ever so slightly to inspect the parchment in his hand before shifting her gaze to study his features.
Grayish-blue eyes are sharp and attentive as they trail the procession of hastily-scribbled characters printed on the parchment. His eyebrows furrow in concentration, thin lips drawn in a taut line. Water drips lazily from his damp black locks, landing neatly unto a long cloth draped over his powerful shoulders. He shifts ever so slightly as her gaze trails a wayward droplet of water down his neck, vanishing beneath the collar of his shirt.
"What do you think?" The Commander asks softly returning his attention to his foul-tempered subordinate.
"I think it's a shit plan," the Captain offers bluntly with a weary sigh leaning back to cross his arms.
"I don't like it either but it's the best we can come up with under the current circumstances. Our resources are better expended preparing for the expedition to reclaim Wall Maria," Ervin Smith admits matter-of-factly. Confusion mars the young queen's delicate features as she lowers her gaze meekly to study her bare feet, feeling out of place between the formidable pair. She feels the Captain's gaze slowly but surely shift to apprise her and hesitantly lifts her eyes to meet his. Heat stings her cheeks as their gazes meet prompting her to bashfully retreat. Although she wants to ask what is going on, she is far too embarrassed to articulate her inquiry.
"Fine. I'll handle it," the Captain assures the blond curtly pushing back his chair as he rises to his feet.
"Very well. I'll leave it to you." The Commander's eyebrows slacken in relief. He turns to take his leave, pausing to acknowledge the Queen with a quick bow before slipping out of the front door.
"Is something wrong?" Historia asks hesitantly as she watches her lover move towards the bathroom. When he doesn't respond, her attention shifts to the stack of paperwork Commander Ervin had left behind. She quietly approaches the desk, pausing briefly to determine her lover's position. Her petite frame freezes when she notices him watching her from the bathroom entrance.
"You should probably start heading back to the palace before someone notices that you're gone," he mutters quietly in response.
"What's going on?" She presses crossing the room to join him. "What did he want?"
"He was briefing me on my next assignment." It is evident from the tone of his voice that there is more that he is not telling her. She knows better than to press him for more details.
He will tell me when he is ready. She reasons.
"Did he say anything about us?" Her blue eyes watch him earnestly as she presses her palms softly against his chest.
"Why would he?" The Captain asks with a shrug. She steps back as he turns to walk away. Folding her hands neatly behind her, she watches him lean forward to fill the bathtub with water.
"Are you having second thoughts?" She asks softly, hugging herself with a self-conscious frown. "About us?" He wordlessly straightens up, turning to walk past her as he returns to retrieve something from his writing desk.
"Here," he says at length, holding out a lone sheet of parchment he had been reading earlier. She quietly crosses the room to join him, hesitantly reaching out to accept the document with trembling hands. Settling down unto his writing chair, she feels him return to the bathroom as she lowers her eyes to read the letter.
Hear me oh, vain and foolish usurper,
You dare expel me and my family from our home and install your bastard queen on the sacred throne my husband and his ancestors before him rightfully occupied? You dare proclaim your bastard puppet the True Ruler of the Walls, casting doubt on the legitimacy of my husband's peaceful reign? You will repent your boast and atone for the cruel injury you have inflicted on me and my family.
In thirty days, on the eve of the longest day of the year, your bastard pawn must be lowered from Wall Rose in the Trost District bound and chained. She must be unknown to man, a virgin. A sacrifice suitable for the titans. She must be delivered to the titans at the setting of the sun or else the titans will destroy all Trost and everyone within the city. For the cruel insult you have visited upon humanity and the vicious injury inflicted on my husband, I demand the life of Historia Reiss. In thirty days.
She lowers the parchment with trembling hands, her heart thumping madly as she repeats the words within her racing mind. Biting the corner of her lip to keep it from quivering, she rises to her feet, quietly crossing the room as she returns to the bathroom.
Could it really have been written by the former queen? Although she had really never paid attention to news and rumors about King Fritz and his family as a child, she had heard enough stories of Queen Portia's benevolence from the maids and palace staff. While her predecessor had been more driven and stronger willed than her husband, a callous letter like this seemed petty and out of character for her, even under the circumstances.
She finds her lover lying in the half-filled tub, water sloshing gently as he scrubs and rinses his muscular frame. Watching his boyish features focused blankly on his roaming hands, it is easy to understand her predecessor's pain and anger. Although their relationship was barely a week old, the thought of anyone hurting him in any way was enough to cause her throat to constrict painfully.
"Do you have any idea," her voice trembles slightly as she rubs her arm meekly. "Who wrote it?" He shifts ever so slightly to study her before offering a noncommittal shrug in response.
"What's wrong?" He asks softly when he notices her expression. She shakes her head, turning instead to leave.
"Do you think they're bluffing?" Her voice is low and ragged from fighting back tears.
"No," he replies honestly as he rises to rinse his body. After everything that had happened within the past month, she couldn't blame him. The discovery of the titan-shifters and the harrowing truth behind the titans' creation and insatiable appetite for human flesh had convinced her of the existence of mysteries far beyond her limited knowledge and comprehension.
"I see…" she trails off awkwardly, unsure of how to broach the question gnawing away at her. "You're going to kill whoever is behind this, aren't you?"
"If it comes to it." He shrugs reaching for a cloth to dry himself with. Her features harden at this.
"That easy huh?" She scoffs shaking her head.
"Did Petra ever mention how I became a scout?" He wonders as he turns once more to face her. She shakes her head. "I was eleven when Kenny decided that I was strong enough to fend for myself." She cringes as she remembers the sniveling crybaby she had been at that very age. "With no relatives or any other means of supporting myself I inevitably turned to crime. Petty theft, grand larceny, arson, assassinations, kidnappings—back then, I did it all for the right price. No reasons needed so no questions asked." He chuckles as her eyes widen in shock. "Why so surprised? Killing and maiming have always been like second nature to me. It's probably why I' so fucking good at killing titans."
"Ya wanted to know who I was to that fucking pipsqueak? I'm the man who raised him. That's right. Taught him everything he knows. Won't lie, it warmed my cold, dead heart to watch his reputation grow over the years, to watch him finally use them tricks I learned him to squirm out of my grasp. Levi Ackermann will come through them doors tonight. I know because I raised him to hunt down anyone who threatens his existence."
She shakes her head backing away from him as she trembles in disbelief. He follows her planting a hand on the wall beside her effectively trapping her as he leans down to face her. Her heart races as she recognizes shades of the murderous Ackermann's gray eyes embedded within his icy blue gaze as they watch her. An intense shudder of trepidation runs down her spine as he reaches a long finger towards her cheek, plucking a strand of golden blonde hair which he holds out between them.
"Maybe for the old Levi," she replies softly at length. "But you've changed since then."
"Quite sure of that, huh?" He scoffs shaking his head as he releases her hair, turning away to continue getting dressed. Unfurling the cloth from his waist, he opens his dresser to pull out a fresh uniform.
"Yes!" Her voice cracks as she reaches out to grab his wrist, halting its path down the procession of buttons lining his sharply-pressed shirt. Snaking her free hand around his neck, she gently tiptoes to press a chaste kiss against the corner of his thin mouth. "You once told me to let the past die. To kill it if I had to. The old Levi might have been apathetic, selfish, and ruthless but you are none of those things now. Haven't been for quite some time."
"Oh?" Her breath hitches as he trails a long finger down her forearm. "So, what am I now?"
"You're a wolf among sheep," she returns without hesitation. Releasing a breathy sigh, she closes her eyes as she lifts his hand, pressing his palm to her cheek. "Violent, yet tender. Ruthless yet compassionate. Passionate yet restrained beneath a mask of indifference."
"You really think it's better to spare the conspirators' lives?" She opens her eyes, small shoulders trembling slightly as he retracts his hand returning his attention to buttoning his shirt.
"Not really," she admits with a shrug as she watches him get dressed. "No. But that doesn't mean that I like it." A wistful sigh catches in the back of her throat as she settles down on the couch, blue eyes trailing his movements attentively.
"Who cares about you liking it?" He asks distractedly as he secures his ascot around his neck. Blonde eyebrows narrow slightly at this as she watches him carefully. "When you agreed to become queen did you do it because you wanted to or because you had to?"
"Because I had to," she murmurs softly bowing her head as heat stings her cheeks. "It was the least I could do."
"So is this," he informs her matter-of-factly as he tucks his shirt into his slacks.
"Are you sure?" She scoffs shaking her head. He turns to face her arching an eyebrow in bemusement prompting her to elaborate. "I mean, isn't that how it starts? The fever, the rage. The vindictiveness that turns good men cruel."
"What makes you think these are good people?" His tone is low and acerbic.
"Because," she heaves a small shrug as a weary sigh escapes her. "No one—no matter who—is all bad. Long ago, they were once like us, hopelessly inexperienced, foolishly idealistic with dreams of righting the wrongs of this world."
"Father, please listen to me!"Rod Reiss calls out earnestly pressing his chubby cheeks against the bars of his cell as his dark blue eyes meet his father's cold hard gaze. "This is our chance! We can kill the titans once and for all! Free humanity! Why? Why won't you let us? Why do you refuse to understand?"
"Leave it to me, father," Frieda assures Rod Reiss decades later with a confident smile. "I won't lose to the ghosts of our ancestors!"
"I must admit, I'm not nearly smart enough to see the big picture. To understand what they understand knowing what they know," he admits with a rueful sigh. "But dwelling on that, hesitating and allowing compassion to dull my blade, sentiment to addle my wits…that is a luxury I cannot spare. And neither can you." He pauses to lift the hateful letter with an austere frown.
"She's most likely angry, frightened, and confused. When I killed my father it was different. We had no choice. It was the only way to save humanity. But now, I believe that diplomacy can work. It won't be easy but I'm more than willing to give it my all."
"I see," he mutters dully as he slips his uniform jacket over his shoulders. Although it is clear from the measured timbre of his voice that he has decided to let his reservations go unspoken, she decides to resolve the matter once and for all.
"Fine, let's find her first. When we do I'll try to talk to her, you know, convince her to confess and abandon her rebellion. Sound good?"
"Sounds like a shit plan but I guess we can give it a shot," he shrugs. She narrows her eyes suspiciously at how easily he allows her to have her way.
"What would you propose?"
"You know what I would propose." He shoots back quietly. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she turns to pull out a map of Mitras from within his desk.
"I know what you're doing," she chuckles with a knowing smile. "You're going to let me do this my way and watch me fail in order to prove your point."
"Is that what I'm doing?" He teases arching an eyebrow.
"Yes." Her eyes narrow as she turns to fix him with a defiant scowl. "And it's not going to work. I'll show you that there is still good in people. No matter how twisted or evil they might seem. Not every situation is a lost cause."
"What's with the map?" He asks crossing his arms as she moves to unfurl the map on the dining table.
"We're going to try to figure out where Queen Portia could be hiding," she replies arching her eyebrow in bemusement. Her small fingers curl around the edge of the table to keep them from trembling with excitement lest her lover misunderstand. "Now if I were to go into hiding where would I go? Huh, where are you going?" She asks as she notices him moving into the kitchen.
"If we're going to do this, then I'm going to need some tea."
"Ah, good idea!" She exclaims snapping her fingers as she huddles studiously over the map, trailing her hands over random streets and buildings before remembering the reports the eccentric Section Commander and her long-suffering assistant had assembled in preparation for the coronation banquets.
"What are you looking for?" He calls after her, peeking out from the kitchen when he hears her pulling out another drawer.
"Hey, do you still have those reports Section Commander Hange and Lieutenant Berner made for the—"
"Bottom left drawer." She feels his gaze trailing her as she carefully slides out the drawer he had indicated. "Make sure you leave everything as you found it."
"Aye, aye Captain!" She declares with a playful salute. He blinks blankly at her before returning his attention to the kettle as she pulls out the massive stack of paperwork.
She purses her lips when she catches herself humming a pleasant tune she had picked up a lifetime ago. Reading Petra's diary and hearing the others' battle stories had awoken a desperate yearning to see the Captain in action. While she wished that the situation had arisen under kinder circumstances, she was content with the hand fate had dealt her.
The chair creaks loudly as he returns to settle into the seat opposite her, leaning an arm over his backrest as his gaze falls on the map. She lifts her hand, holding out a sizeable stack of papers for him.
"We need to split the work," she explains when he doesn't immediately accept her offering. "You handle that stack and I'll handle this one."
"What are we looking for?" He asks listlessly.
"Any old comrades of Queen Portia's," she replies as she continues reading the report in her hand. He wordlessly relieves her of his stack, leaning unto his forearm to inspect the report. She quickly locates a clean sheet of parchment and writing pen which she uses to scribble some notes for later reference. He rises a few moments later to remove the kettle from the stove, returning with a tray of tea and biscuits which he gently sets on a nearby stool. "This is going to take a lot longer than I thought." She sighs accepting the teacup he holds out to her with a grateful smile.
"Hn." He offers dully as he pours himself out a cup. A smile tugs at her lips as she remembers his earlier tale about his shattered tea set. When he feels her watching him and lifts his gaze to meet hers, she manages a sheepish smile before returning her attention to her work.
"I give up! This is hopeless," she declares throwing her hands up in exasperation several hours later. "Any luck?" He shakes his head as he reaches up to stifle a loud yawn with his palm. "I wonder how Armin and the Commander do this."
"It's a lot harder than it looks," he admits rising to his feet as she stretches languidly. From the corner of her eye, she notices him studying the wall clock with a studious frown and arches an eyebrow as she watches him.
"Got somewhere to be?"
"An appointment at nine." He nods as he moves toward the front door. "Gives us enough time to get some breakfast. There's a café just outside the barracks I will stop by to pick up something while you take a bath."
"Can't you reschedule your appointment?" She asks quietly. "I mean no offense but I think this is a more pressing matter."
"I'd rather not," he remarks bluntly. "I'll be back soon. There are some fresh shirts in the drawer." She lets out a small exasperated sigh as he shuts the door behind him. Resisting the urge to pout, she softly makes her way towards the bathroom, slowly stripping off her shirt and slacks before leaning down to fill the bathtub.
A wistful smile tugs at the corner of her lips as a gust of early morning breeze fills the air with his intoxicating scent. She remembers the fiery arousal the sight of his naked body splayed carelessly within the empty bathtub had aroused in her. After all that had happened, it was difficult to believe that that had happened a little over a week ago.
It is easy to pretend that they were more than lovers preparing to attend to their respective duties. She closes her eyes, as she pictures herself sitting on the soft cushion of a wide bed. Her small fingers spread a generous amount of lather unto her naked flesh as she pictures them buried deep within rumpled sheets, her knees pulled beneath her petite frame. She imagines watching him move quietly about slipping into his uniform, pausing only when the sudden sharp cry of a toddler fills the air.
Her heart clenches in contentment as he bends over to plant a loving kiss on the wailing infant's head, gently extricating their firstborn from the crib. She feels her body lean forward with a loving smile, feels her small hand rub soothing circles against her growing tummy as she watches him placate their restless offspring with soft, loving kisses pressed gently against his chubby neck.
"Why the fuck are you smiling?" Her arms flail wildly about as she slips backward falling gracelessly into the bathtub with a deafening splash. Heat stings her cheeks as she slowly but surely rises to meet his gaze, tiny fingers clenching the edge of the bathtub as she presses her petite frame demurely against the tub. "Hurry up. Your breakfast is getting cold." She nods sheepishly as she reaches out to fill her bucket once more, dumping the water over her body.
She repeats the process several times until she is satisfactorily clean, shaking her blonde locks as she steps out into the warmth of his waiting arms. He closes his arms around her, encircling her petite frame with a clean cloth. When she reaches out to secure the cloth around her naked flesh, he gently bats her hands away, guiding the cloth up and down her body with gentle, lingering strokes.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away," she mutters sheepishly shifting to face him. "Thank you for letting me borrow your clothes. I'll wash and return them as quickly as possible."
Her breath catches sharply as his fingers lift her pert doughy mounds, kneading them roughly before abruptly letting them fall. Small hands slide up reflexively to steady her breasts as they bounce obscenely, prompting him to coax her limbs apart.
"Are you trying to turn me on?" He growls softly leaning down to press deep, wet kisses against the outline of her collarbones.
"I-I'm n-not. W c-can't we have to—" he swallows the rest of her sentence with a deep, searing kiss, moaning softly against her slack lips as he slips his tongue inside her mouth. Blue eyes flutter shut with a dreamy sigh as she leans further into his kiss, angling her head to grant him better access as the cloth falls unto the floor beneath them.
"Have to what?" He repeats as his fingers twist her nipples obscenely.
"W-what about your a-aah-appointment?"
"It's like these are just begging to be played with," he chuckles ignoring her question, fondling her plaint bosom instead, prompting her to avert her gaze as she flushes bashfully.
"D-don't be ridiculous," she chides thoroughly unconvincingly as he leans down to suckle her.
"Just look at how hard your nipples have gotten."
"C-Captain, p-please. W-we need to get back to work b-before your appoint—"
"It's fine. We have more than enough time." She opens her mouth to point out the absurdity of his statement but releases a vulgar squeal instead as a long digit penetrates her moist sex.
"C-Captain L-Levi!" She cries out biting her lower lip.
It's no use…I can't think clearly anymore. She laments as she feels him sweep her feet from beneath her, carrying her out into the drawing room. He carefully deposits her unto the couch, leaning back to untie his ascot before sliding his shirt off his muscular shoulders. She averts her eyes reflexively when they find his bulging pectorals with minimal effort.
"Embarrassed?" He taunts with a wicked smile as he folds his shirt before setting it aside. "It's not like it's anything you haven't seen before." Her blush deepens as he leans down to watch her. Blue eyes widen as she feels the tip of his mushroom-shaped organ teasing the twitching lips of her vulva as his long fingers secure their grip along the bottom of her knees, spreading her legs apart. He pushes himself into her. Trembling hands press urgently against his hard chest, shaking her head as her parted lips release a string of nonsensical syllables in protest.
"C-Captain Levi…please…wait!"
"You're already soaking wet," he teases as he ignores her, penetrating her womanhood with a series of deep, rhythmic thrusts. "Does it feel that good?" She shakes her head instead, blue eyes squeezed shut in humiliation as she wills her treacherous lips to cease their lascivious cries to no avail.
"It's not…that's not…aaahhh haagghhh!"
"Historia, look at me," he orders, sternly pounding her when she shakes her head in defiance. When she cracks an eyelid open to glance at him, he pounces on her, grabbing a bouncing breast in his large hand as his lips devour her wanton cries with a greedy kiss. "It feels fucking great inside you. I could honestly fuck you forever."
"No!" She cries out hyperaware of her swaying breast bouncing and swinging lewdly between them as his muscular thighs smack her pert buttocks loudly. "C-Captain Levi…Anymore and I'll…I'll." An indescribable wave of euphoria wafts over her shivering form as a piercing cry rips through her throat. When the blinding light subsides, she feels a faint tingling sensation growing from her curled toes as he slams that spot within her once more.
Porcelain thighs quiver as warm seed leaks out of her vulva, seeping into the blanket to mix with their post-coital secretions as he collapses on top of her completely spent. He shifts ever so slightly unto his side pressing her snugly against him as a strong arm cradles his head. Minutes bleed into hours as she watches the light folds of his curtains billowing gently in the mid-morning breeze. From the corner of her eye, she notices a sheet of paper flapping softly and turns to observe it. Content that the document is not in danger of being blown away, she pulls herself into a sitting position, drawing her knees intimately against her bare chest.
How can he sleep so soundly? She muses tilting her head ever so slightly as she considers the subtle slump of his jaw. Rubbing her thumb against her knees, she lets out a low sigh of exasperation as she stares blankly at the writing desk. Blue eyes narrow ever so slightly as they fall on Queen Portia's hateful letter from before.
Whoever wrote that can't be up to any good. Surely Captain Levi knows that. So why would he want to have sex when this person is still out and about? She recalls his conversation earlier that morning with Commander Ervin with a pensive frown.
"I think it's a shit plan," the Captain had opined.
"I don't like it either but it's the best we can come up with under the current circumstances. Our resources are better expended preparing for the expedition to reclaim Wall Maria." Pink lips purse as she remembers how her lover's gaze had tellingly shifted toward her at that point in the conversation.
Could it be? Could the Commander's plan involve using me as bait to lure out the conspirators?
Understanding tightens her features as she straightens up, arms falling limply to her side. She rises to her feet, crossing the room as she approaches her lover's writing desk. When she reaches it, she instantly snatches the hateful letter from the wooden surface, peering down at the characters with rapt, attentive eyes.
Earlier when I was looking for the guest list reports he was busy making tea. And then when I asked him to help he didn't protest—simply going with it almost as if he already knew that I was on the wrong track. But how?
She scans the table carefully for any sign of the envelope that accompanied her predecessor's hateful letter. Concern creases her forehead when she finds none.
Captain Levi would never refuse an order from the Commander, no matter how much he disagrees with it. Which would explain why he's taking his sweet time hunting the conspirators. Could he be stalling?
"You're not sleeping," he observes groggily as he finally stirs, watching her from the couch.
"You know who sent the letter, don't you?" She asks holding the document up as he sits up, rubbing his eyes groggily. "The Commander told you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he did."
"Who sent it?" She asks watching him expectantly as he rises to get dressed.
"The former queen, whatever her name is," he offers with a small shrug.
"So…it's true. How did you get it?"
"Judge Schaeffer gave it to him yesterday during the council's meeting."
"The one you left early?" He nods as he turns to face her. "Who is Judge Schaeffer?" His eyes narrow ever so slightly at this as he leans back unto his palm as he considers his response. It is clear from his reaction that this was not going to be an easy answer. Few things ever were these days.
"You really should start paying closer attention to the politics of the capital," he chides with a stern sigh. "Judge Dana Schaeffer is a brilliant and powerful attorney from a wealthy aristocratic family. Together with a select group of similarly gifted and influential attorneys, she represents humanity's elite citizens, protecting and nurturing their interests through any means necessary."
"I remember her now. She was at the second ball I attended after my coronation." Historia mutters quietly to herself as she recalls the portly middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair and keen eyes. "She was very sweet to me and seemed very eager to help fund the expedition to reclaim Wall Maria. What?" She asks pursing her lips slightly as a cynical chuckle escapes him. He shakes his head as he meets her gaze, grayish-blue eyes focused and foreboding.
"When it comes to people like Dana Schaeffer, you have to be a sheep amongst wolves," he warns. "Wise as a serpent yet as innocent as a dove."
Author's Note: Sorry for the tardy post but a lot of work had to go into this chapter in light of rumors that Season Three Episode Twelve is going to be the last Attack on Titan episode for some time. While I hate inserting original characters, I've decided that this is a necessary evil in order to provide some much-needed conflict and development for Levi and Historia's relationship. If my suspicions turn out to be well-founded about the anime going on a hiatus after this week's episode, I will use my original upcoming arc which I'm entitling the "Never War Arc" to conclude the story. This might take several chapters or a few depending on how many plot bunnies decide to pop by for a visit.
I borrowed and inserted a few select quotes from the following movie scenes: Alfred's Speech in Batman v. Superman; Thetis' threat to Andromeda and Cassiopeia in the original Clash of Titans movie; and Casey Affleck's opening monologue in Gone Baby Gone.